A Different Journey
by Bluemane
Summary: After moving to the Hoenn Region due to his father's line of work. Brendan, as expected due to his linage, is to start his Pokemon Journey. However, he won't be alone. He'll be joined by a native who will act as a guide and mentor despite the similar age to the unsure teenager. Could formality change to normality, a Gym Leader's son and Draconid's Prodigy becoming something more?
1. Arrival

**So, I had a rather... Strange idea. Well, first, lemme explain. See, Zinnia didn't get too much attention in Pokemon ORAS, not much development but you can tell she is a strong character. But what if, she was introduced earlier, as a travelling companion, and possible interest? That's what "_A Different Journey_" is all about.**

**Oh yeah, the other thing. I simply don't really like Brendan's design. Therefore, I'm probably going to make sure it gets changed, clothes wise. I think it's the hat... But yeah, changing outfits and the like. There will be a sense of realism in this story.**

**Also, the idea of ten year olds going out into the world themselves? Yeah, no. Try sixteen. As such, I will have a list updated with character's ages and the like at the end.**

**Loosely based on the Pokemon Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire games plotline, but with my own additions. Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 1: Arrival.**

* * *

The car bumped on another rough patch on the road, the teenager riding in the passenger seat along with it.

The man whom was driving snorted.

"Betcha you're 'appy yer not in the back eh?" He said gruffly in his thick accent, chortling as boy shied away.

"It sounded like a fun idea at the time!" Brendan argued, refusing to acknowledge his childish aspect was rather...dangerous, as he grumpily folded his arms against the seatbelt lashed across his chest.

The driver simply laughed again, more openly.

"All it takes, kid, is a bump on another one o' those patches fer the boxes to possibly come crashin' doon on yer head."

Perhaps riding in the front was safer. After all, now that he thought about it, what sort of idiot would ride without a seat or anything in the back of a moving van?

Silence reigned for a moment, aside the rumbling of the engine, the growling of tires and the occasional knock as a rock went under the wheels.

"So, gym lea'ers son are yeh?" The man stated conversationally.

"Yeah." Brendan nodded. In truth, he wasn't too sure whom he was riding with, all he knew is it was his father's friend whom lived nearby and was willing to lend his van and help to the family, whom were moving from the Johto region.

As if sensing his hesitance and wariness, the driver grinned, holding out his hand to the side whilst keeping one on the wheel.

"Ahm Nick incase yer wonderin'."

Brendan shook the offered hand, noticing how calloused it was.

"So, er, what is it you do anyway, and how do you know Dad?" the sixteen year old asked.

"Oh, me and yer dad go way back." He announced, drawing out the 'a'. "As fer what ah do, well, ahm a workin' man. Yer old man and me were mates, until me and the missus had ter move here, to Hoenn, fer my job. I work with Devon Corps in Rustboro."

Brendan nodded at the explanation, eyes however, focused out on the treeline, watching various pokemon scatter back into the wilderness as the vehicle passed by.

A swallow darted in front of the van, before darting off into the sun.

"So, yer movin' to good ol' Littleroot Town, eh?" Nick rumbled.

"Yeah." Brendan mumbled.

"Quaint little town it is. Nice an' relaxin', suppose that's why the Professor choose tha' town."

"What do you mean?" Brendan asked, eyebrows raised.

"Well, you know about Prof. Birch, righ'?"

"Yeah, of course, he's a friend of my Dad, though I don't really know him." Brendan explained.

"Your old man has many friends, dunnhe." Nick stated, before continuing. "Well, the professor lives there. An' I know what yer thinkin'." The man said, noticing the rather...displeased look Brendan had adopted. "He's no some grouchy ol' coot. Professor Birch is kin'a... Eccentric, would be the word. He likes been out in the field."

The man glanced further down the road, eyes squinting.

"An' I think we're almost there kid."

After an apprehensive minute, the moving van trundled to a jerky stop in front of the homestead.

"Well, you ge' in kid, le' me and the others handle the boxes." Nick said, after turning off the engine.

"I could help y'know." Brendan started, before it was shrugged off politely by Nick.

"Nah, don' worry about it."

After a moment's hesitance, swung open the door and took his first steps on the earth of Littleroot Town.

* * *

The bright sunlight welcomed him, the wind blowing in the scents of nature. There really was no word to describe the place; cosy? Quaint? It seemed Nick had been right. It felt so... Welcoming.

"Brendan! You're here at last!"

The teenager turned, a smile worming it's way unto his features.

"Hey mum!" He called as the woman walked forward.

"So, wasn't it tough riding in the back of the bumpy moving truck all that way?" She grinned.

"Shut up..." He murmured, blushing. Was everyone going to pull him up about that?

Caroline, Brendan's mother, laughed. "Well, this is Littleroot Town." She announced, gesturing to the surrounding land. "What do you think? This is going to be our new home!"

"It does feel comfortable." He admitted.

"It has a quaint feel, but it looks like it should be a nice place to live, don't you think?"

A single eyebrow went up at her word choice, but he didn't say anything, aside acknowledging with a simple "Yes".

"Come on. You have to see the inside!"

Brendan nodded, allowing her to lead him in after a glance at Nick, whom was organising the crates from the van.

Inside, Machoke were busily sorting the heavier objects into their location on shelves. Brendan watched on curiously for a moment, as he was half expecting more men like Nick, perhaps his colleges. Then again, these Machoke were the ideal partners to a worker.

"See, Brendan? Isn't it nice in here, too?" Caroline asked, receiving a nod.

"The moving company's Pokemon even help with the unpacking and the clean up you see." Explaining the presence of the Machoke.

One of the mentioned pokemon slowly approached from behind, waiting till Caroline noticed.

"Oh, are you done?" She asked.

The lizard like pokemon nodded.

"Thanks for all the hard work! We really appreciate it!" She smiled.

The Machoke gave an acknowledging grunt before it left with its partner.

"You should go and see your new room upstairs, Brendan! Dad even bought a new clock for it to help celebrate the big move." Brendan raised an eyebrow at that. Only mum would be excited by that... "You'll need to set the time though, it's about..." Caroline glanced at her watch. "Three-Forty."

Brendan nodded, walking around her towards the staircase. "Yours is the second on the left!"

* * *

After entering the room, Brendan paused to check his surroundings.

He had a slightly cluttered desk in the top left corner, the blue-covered bed lay against the wall on the bottom left corner. set up against the bannister of the staircase was a large television on a small, long stand. His various games were cleanly and safely in the drawers, with the gaming console on the left. His massive Snorlax beanbag dominated the centre of his large, blue rug and the bottom right corner it was in. His green footrest and purple cushion was tucked safely behind the squishy pokemon seat.

To his right at the top of the stairs, was a map of the region framed in a wooden brown which blends with the colours of the room; simple beige wallpaper, wooden supports splitting it into sections, with the blue curtains, rug, bed and even the simple desk chair. His cupboard and drawers still needed added, along with other nick-knacks, but there was plenty of room for them.

He then noticed his bin at the foot of his bed. That was supposed to be at the drawers, but Caroline tended to move it to his bed, as he usually was sketching on it before sleep, and instead of the floor around it hosting crumpled pieces of paper, different failings scribbled on, she usually moved his bin there.

Sighing in exasperation at his mother, the teen walked slowly towards the basic blue and white clock beside the map. Taking it off the mount, he adjusted the dials on the back, occasionally correcting it after going too far or little after glances to the face and his watch.

"Three forty... two." He says finally, placing it back on it's hook.

"Done." He hummed, glancing about. He should probably go back downstairs and see what he could help with.

"How do you like your new room, Brendan?" Was suddenly asked to his right.

Startled, he twitched, only to frown and roll his eyes at his mother.

"Try not to do that, please?" He groaned. She simply chuckled. "And yeah, it's nice. Plenty of space." He added with another look around.

"Good!" Everything's put away neatly!" She explained.

"They finished moving everything in downstairs too, just need your closet and drawers put in but Nick'll get that."

She grinned at my rather surprised look at the quickness of the work.

"It really is nice having Pokemon around to help us!" She laughed. "Oh, but you should make sure that everything's all there on your desk." She added, before going back down the stairs.

Brendan hesitantly walked over to the open journal, heart sinking at the thought of his mother going through it. It's not that it has anything... Truly private, but... It was _his _journal. _The _journal. Everybody had their quirks, and Brendan was no different. He didn't like people going through his things, especially his notebook. The teen had a strange ritual that confused others when they noticed or heard, but it seemed so logical to him. It usually had his plans for that day, usually with time markers. Also, it was filled with his drawings, reminders, ideas and thoughts. It was all purpose for his needs and compulsions. On the latest pages, was his reminders for his, well, plan. For a Journey. A Pokemon Journey.

Directing his train of thoughts from his notebook to letting his mother know that everything was in check.

"**Oh Brendan! Brendan! Come quickly!**"

Rushing down the stairs, Brendan stopped in front of his mother whom was beside the television.

"It's the Petalburg Gym! Maybe Dad will be on TV!" She quickly explained, turning back.

It was an interview, the man was standing outside a rather large building.

"We brought you this report live from in front of the Petalburg Gym. Next up, a special look at a long-awaited meteor shower in the next star show..."

It cut to adverts.

"Oh... It's already ended." Mother said, confused. "Looks like your dad was on, but we missed his part. What a shame."

Brendan concluded that she must have been skipping through the local channels, getting familiar with the programs when she got to the interview.

"But that reminds me... One of Dad's friends lives in this town, Professor Birch is his name." She explained.

"Yeah, Nick told me." I nodded.

"He lives right next door, so you should go over and introduce yourself." I nodded again, understanding. It was something that was expected, as much as he didn't like it; greeting the neighbours. Brendan just wasn't exactly a people person.

Sighing about the inevitable, he stepped back into the quiet and comforting atmosphere of Littleroot town.

* * *

**In order of Appearance (So Far, including those mentioned):**

_Brendan: Sixteen._

_Nick: Thirty Five._

_Norman (Dad): Thirty Six._

_Caroline (Mother): Thirty Four._

_Professor Birch: Thirty Five._

**Well, that's the end of the first chapter. To be honest, I'm not too sure how well this will be received and if it's worth carrying on. Anything like a review, follow, favourite would help me, knowing that some people are willing to read this. Zinnia will be introduced in the next few chapters, were we were first introduced to her! ****Until next time! **


	2. Introductions

**Well, it was great to see that some people actually enjoy this, so I will be continuing! **

**Also, lemme explain something else. I will be taking inspiration from the anime in some things, like people met, or the size of locations, even locations themselves. This is loosely based on the game, and loosely inspired from the anime.**

**Onwards with the story!**

* * *

**Chapter 2: Introductions**

* * *

Brendan paused, glancing around Littleroot Town. The cluster of houses where he lived were located off the main portion of the town, which is further down the trail southwest. Down there at the waterfront was the true Littleroot Town, with the commonly frequented port which people coming from Johto or Kanto entered. Other homes or similar clusters were dotted around the forest borders, this particular group was were Professor Birch lived.

The walk took a while, with Brendan taking note of the neighbours. The Professor's personal home turned out not to be too far away from the lab itself, a colossal building with tropical-like dwarf trees decorating the front area. A Jeep stood on standby, parked near the road. A forest similar to the rest of the place dominated the back of the building, only Brendan could see there seemed to be far more variety than the usual landscape.

Shrugging, Brendan entered through the sliding doors.

The front room was quite open. A singular long desk with a cup of coffee on a saucer, various notes and books and even a laptop. The simplistic green chair was tucked into it. This whole layout was matched to the opposite wall, minus the laptop. Two neatly organised bookshelves were housed at the left time, while a strange machine sat at the right. A quick glance showed what seemed to be a list of Pokemon with various silhouettes displayed on a map of the Hoenn region. It was hooked up to two consoles, one displaying various dials, the other a curved flat mat of the region displayed with more details on habitats, all three constructs hooked up to a Server against the right wall. Double doors on the left wall towards the top corner seemed to lead of into other corridors. There was also some desks at the far wall-

"You're looking for Professor Birch?" A voice questioned abruptly to his side.

Brendan flinched, pulled out of his examination to answer the green haired man.

"Er, yes...?" Brendan paused politely.

"Joshua." The now identified young adult answered with a nod. "The professor's assistant. Well, Trainee, but same thing..."

Brendan chuckled. "I'm Brendan, I just moved in nearby."

"Yes, Professor Birch did mention you." He smiled. "Anyway, the prof's away on fieldwork. I'm not going to question you're intelligence by explaining an obvious topic." Joshua rolled his eyes.

Brendan nodded. A known unfortunate side effect of the usual trainees lot fresh out of their various universities was that they tended to spout information on their hopeful profession, borderline degrading to some, but really just condescending.

_Thank Arceus he isn't one of those,_ Brendan thought to himself.

"Anyway, Birch doesn't like doing desk work, really. He's a... Hands on individual." Joshua laughed lightly. "He's probably at Route 101, though I'd check at his house first, just to be safe. "

Which a cheerful thanks, Brendan left back in the direction of the route.

* * *

Brendan almost passed it by; the esteemed professor's humble home was like every of house in the area. He only knew it was his by the mailbox reading clearly: **_BIRCH RESIDENCE._**

After knocked gently, but loud enough for those living within to hear, Brendan stood back at the sound of shuffling feet behind the wooden door.

A middle aged woman, whom could be none other than Mrs Birch, brunette with a modest brown and poka-dot dress, dorning a clean white apron.

"Oh, you're Norman's son, aren't you!" She smiled pleasantly.

In his head, Brendan shuddered. He _hated _being addressed like that. Sure, it was something some people done, but that was all he got _all _the time. He was "Norman's Son", not "Brendan". This, was the reason why he wanted to go on a Pokemon Journey. To make a name for himself, instead of living under his father's shadow, one that stretched very long.

Instead, he nodded politely, with a small smile.

"I am, Mrs. Is Professor Birch home?" He asked.

"No, afraid he's not." She bit her lip. "He'll be out in Route 101, but that's a big place. Hmm..." She paused, glancing at the ceiling for some reason. "Our daughter, May," She started, "is about to go out to him in a moment, she'll know were she is. Besides, she has her own Pokemon anyway. From what I understand, you had your birthday a few weeks before the move?"

"Yeah." Brendan confirmed. "I didn't get my Licence from Professor Elm since I was just moving anyway, and he was busy at the time."

"Well, I'm sure Mr Birch could get you sorted." She smiled. "Go on up, May's up there."

Brendan hesitantly stepped across the threshold, glancing around the meek interior. Remembering his habit of analysing his surroundings with embarrassment (something he was sure that Joshua noticed, and he was pretty sure the guy found it funny and purposely waited), he made straight for the staircase.

"First one the right!"

* * *

May, it soon was apparent, was getting ready to leave, and was doing a quick verbal checklist before so.

"Pokemon are alright, stuffs all ready, and..." She paused, fumbling with her bag which was slung around her waist, clipped at the front and the actual bag itself snaking around her back, just at her spine. Only after turning to glance at it, she noticed his presence.

"Huh?!" She paused, eyeing him nervously, wondering why he was in her room.

"Oh, you must be Brendan! Your move was today, huh?"

"Yeah." He said simply.

"Well, I'm May! Glad to meet you!" She smiled broadly.

"Likewise." He said, unsure of the excitable girl before him.

"When Dad- oh, I mean Professor Birch-" Brendan's eyebrow went up at that; maybe this was due to her being around her father a lot when he was hosting for peers? "told me about you moving here, Brendan, well I was hoping you would be nice and we could be friends."

_She's rather eccentric, wonder were she gets that from,_ Brendan mused.

"B-but that's just silly, isn't it?"

The male's eyes narrowed, confused and slightly offended.

"I've just met you. Right, Brendan?" Oh, that makes sense...

"So what I'm talking about..." She paused. "Oh no, I forgot! I was supposed to be going out to help Dad catch some wild pokemon!" She grinned apologetically. "Brendan, I'll see you later!"

The next second, she dashed off.

_Well... There goes my guide, _Brendan sighed, glancing around the room he was left in. _Let's hope I can catch up..._

* * *

Brendan slows down, a little confused at what he was witnessing.

After barely entering Route 101, he was hearing noises through the treeline. Ducking and weaving under the bramble, bushes and low branches, he came across a small drop. Below, in an average sized clearing, was a single tree. And, leaning against it, desperately trying to scramble up to safety, was a man who could be none other than the esteemed Professor Birch. The Lab coat was a pretty obvious identifier.

What was the fearsome predator he was fleeing, you might ask?

A Poochyena.

"Halloo! You up there! Please! Help me out!" He waved wildly at Brendan, darting to the other side of the tree as the Poochyena crunched on the bark he was previously in front of.

"Uh... How?" He called down, confused.

"Behind you! I dropped my bag when I fell down, it's got some Pokeballs in it! Just get one and help meeee!" He lurched back in fright as the angered Pokemon snapped at him.

The teenager quickly darted for the strewn bag, a blue notebook and a strange red device, curved at the bottom, all fell out. Ignoring these, he grabbed at the first pokeball and clicked the button in the middle, aiming the ball at the earth.

The little green gecko-like pokemon chirped in front of Brendan as it materialised.

"Uh, Treecko! Could you help out the professor?" Brendan asked, nervous.

The grass type gave an affirmative chirp, grinning.

"**Give him a command!**" The professor bellowed, only just dodging the wild Bite from the puppy Pokemon.

"Treecko! Use, er, Pound on Poochyena!" Brendan called, pointing out their antagoniser.

Without word, the gecko Pokemon leapt forward, tail glowing white. Just as the pup jumped up to Bite the Professor, the tail crashed into the side of it's jaw from it's left, sending it sprawling in pain away.

With a growl, the Poochyena leapt for Treecko, quickly latching onto his tail with another Bite.

"Use Absorb until it gets tired!" Brendan called over the Treecko's yelp.

A few moments later, both Treecko and Poochyena started glowing green, and the pup Pokemon's grip slacked.

"Pound, throw it away with some force!"

Treecko pivoted sharply, sending the Poochyena flying towards the tree the Professor was currently recovering his breath at.

Professor Birch dodged to the side with a shout of surprise, just as his assailant smacked with an audible bang against the hard wood. It slid down, unconscious.

"Whew. Chuck us the bag down, will ya?!" He called up, grinning wildly, no hint of fear on his features.

Confused, Brendan grabbed said bag by it's strap, launching it down with the items which fell out before(Including the two other pokeballs) safely tucked inside.

After fishing out a shrunken pokeball, the Professor resized it and gently tapped it against the Poochyena. Brendan sent him a questioning look, only to receive a "Gotta have something good come out of all this!" as an answer.

"Thanks for the assist." He grunted, climbing over the slope, bag in hand. The Treecko leapt onto his right shoulder, prompting an "Oof!" of surprise, before leaping before Brendan, seemingly waiting for something.

"You, er, did a great job Treecko." Brendan smiled nervously at the Gecko Pokemon. Treecko simply nodded, before leaping onto the teenager's shoulder and settling into a crouch.

"You gonna return him?" Birch asked, brushing off the dirt he accumulated from his climb and previous fall.

"Oh, er right!" Brendan apologised quickly, fishing the pokeball out of his pocket. He held it out hesitantly to the Professor, whom raised an eyebrow.

"Not what I meant..." He murmured, not accepting it whilst glancing at the Treecko. Brendan put it back into his pocket, confused.

"Oh! You're Norman's boy!" He announced, smiling.

Brendan sighed. Just grea-

"Brendan, isn't it?"

That... Was surprising.

"Yeah." Brendan answered.

"I didn't even realize who you were at first. You've grown into quite the young man. This isn't the place for chat though. Come along to my lab." Birch started walking with an air of confidence and a little bounce in his step as Brendan fell in line. Treecko, remained on his shoulder, eyes furrowed, eyeing the boy who's shoulders he was riding.

* * *

**In order of Appearance (So Far, including those mentioned):**

_Brendan: Sixteen._

_Nick: Thirty Five._

_Norman (Dad): Thirty Six._

_Caroline (Mother): Thirty Four._

_Professor Birch: Thirty Five._

_Joshua: Twenty One._

_Mrs Birch: Thirty Five._

_May: Seventeen._

**How did I do? As I said, blend of the anime and the games. It won't be all turn based, but you won't get some of the dumb things in the anime...**

**Anyway, that's it so far! Review your thoughts, Favourite if you think it's worth it, and Follow if you're wanting more!**


	3. Favours

**Thanks to all those who followed and favorited, and to the guest reviewer and Kahia too! Grateful to you all!**

**Now, on with the story!**

* * *

**Chapter 3: Favours.**

* * *

"Well, I've heard much about you from your father." Professor Birch smiled at Brendan, whom subtlety grit his teeth. They had now returned to the lab after the short walk back. May hadn't returned yet.

_Typical Dad, _ the teenager groaned internally. _Can never tell if he's proud, or just boastful._

**"**But he said you don't have your own Pokemon yet." Birch frowned slightly.

"Moved two weeks after my birthday, so we didn't want to trouble Professor Elm." Brendan explained.

"Ah. Well, that was quite the performance back there anyway!" The usual jolly smile graced his features again. "Looks like you really are your father's son!"

He knew it was meant as a compliment, but...

"You're a natural, Brendan!" He grinned mischievously then. "Well, perhaps I can help you, since you helped me."

Brendan raised a single eyebrow, curious as to what he meant.

"That Treecko on your shoulder seems to approve of you."

Brendan paused, glancing to his left shoulder. He wasn't too sure the professor was right, because, if anything, the Hoenn starter's eyes were slanted, a look he recognised. People often remarked he shared the same look when he was studying something deeply, assessing it.

"If he finds you agreeable-"

"Treecko." The Gecko Pokemon interrupted, smiling faintly. It did. That greatly relieved the young adult.

"Then," The professor continued, unbothered by the sudden intrusion, if anything, the smile was reaching his ears now. "I suppose, I guess I'll have to get your trainer's licence sorted."

Brendan started, slightly nervous, but faintly excited.

"I... I only just moved in, sir-"

"Not to worry my boy." He grinned. "I'm not ordering you to go on what they call nowadays, 'A Journey', lots of trainers stay at home with Pokemon. Do you think they all went on a Journey?"

"No, I don't think so." Brendan answered, seeing the truth in the statement.

"Precisely! I'll put aside my other work for the day, and by tonight you'll be a legal trainer." He then grinned again, the same look from earlier. "Buuuut, I don't think you or anyone would protest to you having your Pokemon a bit early."

"Thanks, Professor." Brendan smiled genuinely at the man.

"Not to worry m'boy, not to worry. Just come back later on tonight, will you? That way I can present you with some other things you'll need, such as a Pokedex. I'll need to get one programmed for you."

The professor then bit his lip.

"I was wondering, if you could help me with two last little things."

"Oh?" Brendan paused.

"You obviously remember the Poochyena?" The professor grimaced.

Treecko obviously did, the twitch of his tail against Brendan's back was enough to say.

"What about it?"

"Well, the reason why it was rather upset was I had not been looking where I was going, and slipped down that ledge." He proceeded to explain. "I put my arms out to break my fall, but rather, er, unfortunately, that pup may have done the job for me." He sighed unhappily. "I'm going to need to let him out and give him a once over. I would very much appreciate if you and more necessarily, your Treecko were present. To... Put him off attacking, so to speak."

"But," Brendan paused, confused. "I thought you'd have your own Pokemon, Professor?"

"I do, but seeing as it was _your _Treecko that beat him, he'd be far more inclined to behave than if it was Mudkip, for example."

"Fair enough," Brendan nodded. "If Treecko agrees-"

"Tree." Said Gecko answered.

"Then he'll be happy to help." the teenager finished.

"Good, good!" The professor grinned. "Now, let me prepare myself..."

After looking out a couple of differently coloured potions and clearing a space of any delicate items, the Professor held out the Pokeball.

"Ready?" He asked, glancing at the pair.

Both nodded, Treecko now standing firmly on Brendan's left shoulder.

Without further adieu, the professor released the recently caught Poochyena.

The instant it was released, it rounded and growled, only to cower in pain, brining it's right front and hind leg in to better protect its rather purplish side, only faintly visible through the grey fur.

"Tree." Treecko hissed, jumping down onto the grey tile floor with a thump.

The reaction was instantaneous; one second, the Poochyena was defiantly growling at the professor, the next, cowering with it's tail tucked between it's leg in submission.

"Good, good." The professor gently coaxed it, slowly advancing, crouched down to it's level. The smaller potion was held tightly in his left, the larger in the right. It growled slightly, but backed off at Treecko's glare.

"Alright little fella, doing great. I'm going to help you out, alright?" The professor slowly moved to his left, bearing down on the injured side. He kept smiling at it, nodding occasionally. He seemed pretty confident around something which was trying to tear his leg off not too long ago. Maybe it was due to his own workspace, or perhas Treecko's presence, as he wasn't the only one who was glancing occasionally at the grass starter.

The wild Pokemon started with a yelp as Professor Birch sprayed the major potion on the bruised area.

"Its alright, its alright..." He soothed it, spraying it in a lesser dose before switching bottles and coating the area with the smaller, weaker spray.

"There we go." He grinned, standing up.

The Poochyena whimpered for a moment, turning to lick it's side. Already, it was looking a bit better.

"Alright, thanks for the help you two." He smiled at the pair. "I'll take him through to the garden, he'll feel safer out there."

Taking the cue to leave, Brendan walked the short distance to the main doors, Treecko leaping onto his spot on the soon-to-be trainer's shoulder, only to be stopped before leaving by a familiar face.

"I've went and wrote this letter up for your parents." Joshua quickly explained, handing the teenager the sealed note. "Well, moreso for your mother anyway. It's just explaining the circumstances to this, and explaining the appearance of your Treecko. It also will explain why you need to turn up later tonight."

Brendan nodded, and turned to leave only for the assistant to place a hand on his shoulder, gently stopping him.

"The professor said he was asking for two favours, remember?"

Brendan nodded, confused...

"Well, seeing has he is dealing with his charge and neglected to tell you before hand," Joshua sighed, frustrated but also slightly amused. "I guess the task has been passed onto me. The youngest Birch is still out at Route 101, do you mind going out to explain to her that her father has came back early?"

"I guess so." He shrugged, earning a irritated slap of a tail from Treecko, whom now held tightly onto Brendan's shoulders with his suction padded feet. This prompted a wince from the aspiring trainer.

Joshua chuckled, finally letting them go free.

* * *

It was, for the lack of a better word, a trek. The journey to where May supposedly was, had been cluttered with ledges, forestry and winding paths. Thankfully, Treecko was present this time he entered. Simply having the Gecko Pokemon with him made Brendan far more comfortable travelling even if briefly, into the wild. Plus, it seemed like he acted as a deterrent too. He noticed a few wild Pokemon watching from the bushes back off after noticing the starter riding his left shoulder. Though, that didn't scare off the rather stupid Wurmple that slivered into their path.

Treecko made quick work of the bug, smartly avoiding the String Shots that it fired off occasionally. His speed over it due to these dodges easily won the battle, at least until the thing got to it's senses and retreated from an opponent it was now realising it couldn't beat.

Having stopped by his home and delivered the letter along with his own explanation of current events, Brendan was safe in the knowledge that he wouldn't be returning to his mother's fury from venturing into the wild and being away for so long without an explanation. How many kids these days just forgot about their parents? Plus, he was fed too, so that's always good...

"Hm. It would have been helpful if we knew where May actually was." He grumbled, getting a noise of probably agreement from his companion.

"Oh well, let's just keep to the path. Hopefully she's not gone too far." Surprisingly, there wasn't that many trainers in the country side area, but he was sort of glad about that. He was pretty sure that Treecko wasn't ready for much proper battling yet. The Gecko was strong, yeah, but untrained. He had a responsibility as a trainer (though technically not one yet) to be smart about his Pokemon's wellbeing.

Not even a minute later, the pair could hear some noises disturbing the natural harmony of the forest area around them.

May was up ahead, standing near a small pond. Various ferns and large plants surrounded the water's edge, but the edge of the path where the young woman was standing had a clear, unobstructed view of the surface.

"Let's see, at the pond on Route 101, I've seen this pokemon..." She then appeared to circle a name on a notebook Brendan noticed she had out as he got closer. "And that pokemon, this one too..."

She jumped, notebook nearly thrown into the pond, quickly alerted to his presence by his footsteps behind her.

"Oh! Hey, Brendan isn't it?"

The male nodded his confirmation.

"What's that on your shoulder? Oh, a Treecko!" She grinned widely. "So my dad gave you a Pokemon as a gift then?"

"I guess you could say that." He shrugged, earning him yet another slap from the twin tailed Gecko.

_My human will learn,_ the Gecko thought to himself irritatedly, _That I do not like that..._

"Brendan winced, rubbing the area he was pretty sure was bruised by now, ignoring May's giggling.

"Well then, why don't we go ahead and have a quick battle?" She smirked, fingering the pokeball on her waist.

Treecko paused his grumbling, turning to look at his companion's reaction.

Apparently, he wasn't too pleased with the proposal.

"Er, about that... I think I'll pass." Brendan said nervously, not shrugging this time, instead rubbing the back of his head.

May frowned. "Why not?"

"Well, for one, I'm pretty sure I'm not ready." He said, tactfully avoiding saying Treecko wasn't too experienced. He didn't want to insult or upset his new friend, as such he'd happily take the fall.

At this however, May raised an eyebrow. "You're the son of a gym leader, and you're not ready for Pokemon battling?" She clarified rather haughtily.

Suddenly, he has a reputation to uphold now, joy. Though, Brendan guessed this could be since she had one too, and is upset to see someone get out of the same situation...

"Yes." He said through gritted teeth. "I know about battling, training and Pokemon in general. But you've had a year of experience over me, and I've only known Treecko here for a day, so I'll pass."

"Oh, okay then." She said simply, as if disappointed in him.

He was as green as new trainers get. Like hell he was going to be stupid enough to challenge someone a year older than him... Sure, she might have stuck around at Littleroot at that time, but her Pokemon would be pretty damn strong by now, even if she hadn't yet gone on a journey. Considering how spontaneous she was, Brendan guessed she already had.

"Anyway, I came here to let you know that your dad came back early. He wants you to head home now."

"Alright, thanks. See you later." She flashed him a quick smile, before running on.

Brendan sighed, sitting down near the pond, in the process, Treecko leapt off his shoulder unto the grass.

The land around them resumed it's peaceful sounds, various wild Pokemon's noises echoing through the area as the sun was slowly crawling down the horizon; night would come soon.

Why did people always expect so much of him? As much as people were seemingly hoping, he wasn't his father. Even though the man was brilliant in his own right, Brendan did _not _want to be him. He wanted to be Brendan. Why was that so hard to happen?

Treecko, meanwhile, was confused. He wasn't really upset about missing a chance to fight, but it seemed that the simple encounter left his companion quite frustrated. He really was a difficult one to understand. But, the Gecko Pokemon was willing to try and figure him out. Determined, to understand who his trainer is.

* * *

**In order of Appearance (So Far, including those mentioned):**

_Brendan: Sixteen._

_Nick: Thirty Five._

_Norman (Dad): Thirty Six._

_Caroline (Mother): Thirty Four._

_Professor Birch: Thirty Five._

_Joshua: Twenty One._

_Mrs Birch: Thirty Five._

_May: Seventeen._

**I suppose some things need a quick explanation; I deliberately put May in route 101 because, as explained, Anime and Game ideas will be taken. Having Brendan travel to Oldale Town, then to route 103, then back... So, yeah, rather silly.**

**Anyways, that's all from me, thanks for reading!**


	4. Welcome To The Family

**Thanks to reviewers of the story, and for people wondering when Zinnia gets involved, that will be when she was first introduced in the games!**

**I took my time here, mainly mulling over different possibilities and suggestions from people, but it seems I've finally got a firm idea of what I want to do now.**

**So, on with the story!**

* * *

**Chapter 4: Welcome To The Family.**

* * *

"I heard from May that you refused her challenge?" Professor Birch asked, typing away on the computer. Brendan could see it looked like a form, it was probably his Trainer files. Brendan had just came back to alert him that he had indeed told May to return, but she seemed to have arrived and left before him.

"Yeah, I did." Brendan stated nervously, wondering where this was going.

"May I ask why?" He questioned, still not looking behind him.

"Well, May has had a lot more time to be a trainer," Brendan began to explain, "and due to that I didn't think I was ready to go against someone with a years worth of experience over me when I haven't even started."

"You aren't ready, or Treecko?" The Professor asked slightly pointedly.

"Well, both..." Brendan said, rubbing his head instead of shrugging. This, after a quick glance to his left shoulder, earned a smirk of approval from Treecko.

"Well, I'm surprised." Professor Birch swivelled in his chair to finally face Brendan. "You truly thought about your Pokemon before yourself, however..." the professor paused, "some may say that it could have been cowardly. You didn't even give an attempt to battle her, are you going to do that for **every **Trainer who happens to be stronger, or had more time?"

Brendan was confused, wasn't the Professor just praising him a second ago? Or, was he testing him...?

"There is a difference between fighting an opponent better than you for the challenge, or to get stronger, but there's always a line that you shouldn't cross. Challenging doesn't come before wellbeing." Brendan finished firmly, although he was slightly nervous about the man's answer.

"So when is that line crossed?" The professor instead pressed, smiling wider.

"When the Pokemon's wellbeing is in serious danger." He answered bluntly.

"Yet, Pokemon fight in the wild all the time, and receive quite vicious injuries. Define serious danger." The professor challenged.

"Pokemon fight, it's their nature. All can, but some don't. For that majority, it is the trainers responsibility to know when it is too much, or too far. They do not need to fight to survive under the care of a trainer." Brendan countered with surety.

"You know, that segment is actually in one of the tests for obtaining a Professorship." Professor Birch commented. "One that has so many philosophical answers. You gave a standard, although not very detailed summary. You surprised me before, but now I'm impressed."

Brendan wasn't sure how to answer, instead standing there awkwardly.

"You've got a brain Brendan. I'd like to see it put to good use." Birch paused, seemingly considering something. "Look, I know you're young and have options, but... If you're ever considering it, I'd be happy to see about helping you get a Professorship, as a career choice. I won't stay young, and I'd like to be looking for options."

Brendan breathed out, ecstatic. "What about Joshua?"

"He's staying for work experience." The older man explained. "Its a mandatory thing for getting the Professorship. Joshua is considering other possibles and I'd be happy for him to stay and perhaps succeed me, but I'm not going to chain him here."

"I'll... I'll consider it in the future, sir." Brendan nodded. "Thank you."

"Not a problem m'boy, not a problem at all." He sighed, giving Brendan a fatherly smile. "When you do go on your Journey, I will be monitoring some of your progress. See, we professors have a thing called 'Sponsorship'. Do you know about it?"

"Vaguely." Brendan replied, scrunching up his eyebrows, trying to remember the details.

"If a Professor sponsors a Trainer, they're pledging their support and word. It can be rather helpful for the trainer. Perhaps discounts, or the good word being put in, the options and opportunities are extensive. I monitor every trainer who I give a Pokemon to for three months."

"Right." Brendan awkwardly acknowledged him, wondering where this was going.

"I'm not telling you this for any particular reason." The Professor said quickly, noticing his expression. "It's just some of the information I tend to give out. Different professors have their different ways, but I prefer giving you the information you need. I'll still be open to questions."

_So no early sponsorships, then, _Brendan mused. He was worried that Mr Birch wasn't being sincere and was in fact trying to get some favour it due to his father, but thankfully that didn't seem to be the case.

Professors were extremely influential, but having the support of league representatives such as Gym Leaders, especially veterans like Norman, would be useful to have the backing of.

"Hm... It's getting late. You'd best be heading, Brendan. I'll have everything presentable tomorrow for you." The Pokemon Professor stated, swivelling back to the computer screen.

"Thanks, Professor." Brendan paused, waiting to see if there was anything else before turning to leave.

Right before he got to the doors, yet again, he was stopped by...

"Is this going to be a running theme, Joshua?" Brendan asked, slightly amused at being stopped just before departure _again._

"Well we don't get many visitors, and even out of them good company is hard to find." He shot back, grinning. "So, you're gonna be going on a Journey then?"

"Seems so, at the end of the week anyway." The younger male answered. "Did you ever go on one?"

Joshua gained a rather wistful expression, shaking his head slightly in disappointment. "Nah, I got the chance but I was more interested at the time than studying than going on a journey. I thought it would just be a waste of time, time I could be using to get a good job, but... They're called once in a lifetime opportunities for a reason."

"Ah." Brendan wasn't too sure how to reply or keep the conversation going. It seemed easier to talk to Joshua than most people, who usually expected a more active participant. Luckily for Brendan's nerves, the aspiring professor didn't seem to mind carrying the conversation. Most of the time.

"Well, you best be heading anyway." Joshua said after a moment, acting as if the pause never happened. "Come 'round tomorrow, would you?"

"Sure!" Brendan replied, smiling, now leaving.

Once he was outside and the doors slid shut, the young adult paused, welcoming the cool breeze the night brought before glancing at the Treecko silently gazing away, firmly standing on his shoulders with his suction feet.

_It would probably be better if he sat, _Brendan chuckled to himself. _He isn't exactly short. Or light..._

"Tree?" The Pokemon turned to look down at him, curious at his quiet laughter.

"It's nothing." Brendan answered, walking up the dirt path to where the crop of houses were grouped.

* * *

"So, you're going to leave in a week?" Brendan's mother asked from the kitchen, fixing up a simple supper for before sleep.

"I guess so, I'm not going to go dashing off tomorrow when we just moved in." Brendan chuckled, sitting at the dining table. A late night program was being played on the television set, providing a comfortable background noise.

"That's fair enough, but it is your decision, remember." She replied, setting down a plate of varied sandwiches on the tabletop before sitting across from her son. "You are an adult now."

Brendan didn't respond, reaching for a simple cheese sandwich. He paused, chewing, looking around for Treecko.

"He likes to explore, it seems." His mother laughed, noticing Brendan's eyes glancing about.

He didn't quite think it was that, however. Whilst she was in the kitchen buttering the slices of bread, the Gecko Pokemon had leapt off his shoulder, carefully going wall to wall before checking the furniture, ornaments and other baubles. While Brendan tended to simply do a visual dressing down of his surroundings, the Treecko seemed to closely examine the area, far more hands, er... Paws on?

Currently, he was sure the suspicious Pokemon was checking the rooms upstairs. He didn't mind in the slightest, and he was grateful his mother didn't either. She did have a slight smirk when she first saw the Grass Type roaming the downstairs, glancing between Brendan and the Pokemon with that knowing smirk parents do so well.

"Have you ever heard that saying," his mother began, "that pets are sometimes quite like their owners?"

"I'm familiar." His eyebrows narrowed, knowing what she was implying.

Caroline simply snorted in a very unladylike fashion, snagging one of the plain sandwiches.

"Your father will be over the moon, and slightly upset too." She changed the subject after pausing.

"Oh?"

"If you weren't going to receive a Pokemon, he was going to give you one himself." His mother explained.

It was a rather common thing with many families. Not everyone was lucky enough to receive a Pokemon or simply did not want one of the starters, as such many were either inherited or gifted Pokemon. Starters do take some serious commitment to train, and not everyone has the time, want or ability to do so. Hence, this is why there exists trainers with perhaps a simple forest dweller Pokemon, or a more unique starter such as a Dratini. Lance, the Champion of Kanto and Johto was a well known example.

"Do you know what Pokemon it was going to be?" Brendan asked curiously, wiping his mouth.

"I'm confident that it was an Eevee." She replied.

_Of course, _Brendan thought. Why wouldn't the Normal Gym Leader give a Normal Type? Though, it was rather smart as it opened up plenty of options. It had plenty of nice evolutions but heck, even the Eevee itself would be nice. Most people get Eevees for their evolutions, so how many know how to deal with a standard Eevee? Plus, normal types typically have a nice variety of moves...

Brendan snorted; he was truly thinking like a trainer. Truthfully, even though he had a Gym Leader for a father, he hadn't really been interested in being a trainer at first. It just hadn't... Clicked with him. Renovate. He wasn't too sure what he preferred before (though he was leaning towards the researcher category) but being a trainer, travelling the world, it sounded appealing. Even if he didn't enjoy it, there was always that follow up of what Professor Birch had suggested. For now, however, that would be the safety net.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Caroline asked patiently after a while.

"Just..." Brendan shook his head, as if irritated by an insect. "Being a trainer, it wasn't really something I considered before." He admitted to her, running a hand through his raven back hair.

The hat he bought, the last thing he'd purchased in Johto, was resting on the tabletop.

"Well, we never really end up where we thought we'd be." Brendan's mother answered wisely.

Silence reigned for a while, the teenager thinking over her words.

"Well..." Brendan paused mid sentence, yawning, "I think I should actually head to bed now, see you in the morning."

Caroline nodded, darting a quick smile to her son before carrying the leftovers into the kitchen to deposit in their brown rubbish bin.

The simple climb up the stairs fatigued him even more, the events of the day slowly but surely catching up with him. After arriving into his bedroom, Brendan noticed a lack of grass type, but a few objects seem to have been moved but not quite fully replaced.

Giving a small smile, he went through the drawers which had been assembled whilst he was away and withdrew some simple nightwear clothes.

After dressing appropriately, he flicked the lightswitch, noticing how the rays of the moon streamed through the two opposite windows, not quite reaching another on the laminate floor and just dancing out of reach with the sways of the silhouetted branches.

As soon as he got into bed and under the covers, a soft pitter-patter of footsteps penetrated the fresh quiet of the house aside from the soft hum of noise from the television below. Without word, Treecko leapt onto the bed.

"Everything safe?" Brendan asked, smiling.

The Gecko Pokemon chirped uncertainly, mimicking the shrugging gesture Brendan was trained not to use.

"Oi! If I can't, you can't." He mumbled, wondering who really was the trainer here.

Treecko smiled, not smirked, before leaping onto the window ledge.

It was quiet for a moment, until Brendan realised something he hadn't really given much thought.

"You'll be needing a name." He said, half asking and half posing as a statement.

After a moment, Treecko nodded, looking out through the glass.

Sighing, he rolled over to face away from the now glaring light of the night.

Different titles and names were Brendan's last thoughts before falling into the blissful abyss known as sleep.

* * *

**I like my undeveloped characters. So, the story's finally beginning to pick up! Thanks for reading! Any mistakes that I made please mention in a review and I'll fix 'em!**

**In order of Appearance (So Far, including those mentioned):**

_Brendan: Sixteen._

_Nick: Thirty Five._

_Norman (Dad): Thirty Six._

_Caroline (Mother): Thirty Four._

_Professor Birch: Thirty Five._

_Joshua: Twenty One._

_Mrs Birch: Thirty Five._

_May: Seventeen._


	5. The Journey Begins

**Summer has arrived, and as has my muse for writing. **

* * *

**Chapter 5: The Journey Begins.**

* * *

"...and this, is your Pokedex." The esteemed professor finally ended his speech, handing Brendan a forest green flat device. It had a single power button on the left, and two directional buttons on the right.

Pokedex's weren't exactly common devices, mostly given to the wealthy or promising youths. Those who assisted a Professor at their lab were nearly always taken into account. Not many trainers could boast of owning one.

Brendan softly pushed the power button, as the screen blared into life.

_"I am the property of one Brendan Maple, programmed by Professor Alan Birch, Senior Professor in the Hoenn Region."_ The Pokedex suddenly buzzed in a male mono-tonal voice. _"In the event I am lost, please return to the nearest Pokemon Center."_

"As you can see, it is keyed into you already. Now, how much do you know about the Pokedex?" Birch enquired.

"Only that is scans Pokemon, and records their details." Brendan shrugged.

The Professor simply hummed for a moment, searching for the words. "Not quite. The Pokedex, even with all of it's extra features, isn't sentient. It can't see the Pokemon to record it's information about it's habitat and such. It can only do so much."

Brendan was slightly perplexed. "So how does it automatically register it?"

"Simple. The information is already there." The Professor laughed at the teenager's expression.

"Now, there's a common misconception. You see, the Pokedex _isn't _to be used for recording data. It's a encyclopaedia, a dictionary. Now, what is their function?"

Brendan paused, gaping, before it finally clicked.

"They're references. The information's already there, but they're purpose is-"

"To help those who don't understand." The Professor beamed. "The Pokedex was designed by Samuel Oak in the Kanto region as a tool to assist beginning trainers and act as a reference material. We wouldn't want trainers approaching the likes of a Dragonair, thinking it looks pretty, not realising how dangerous they really are. Now, the misconception started when the Professors of the regions started sending out beta testers to record the information, to trial if it worked well. I guess, people got the wrong idea." He chuckled.

"But... Why is it they appear empty? I think that's also what started it."

The Professor gave him a look, before laughing.

"Oh, you're telling me they thought _that _was the actual page? That function you're referring to is the Pokemon seen by the trainer! It's saved to the Pokedex for quick and easy access to already discovered Pokemon! If there's a Pokemon you've not seen, all you have to do is search it up in the other options!"

"Oh." Was all Brendan replied with.

So _that's _how it all started. Now he felt stupid.

"You could try scanning Treecko here, and get more information on his species and other things?" The Professor offered. "You won't believe how many trainers don't scan their starting Pokemon until a lot later in their Journey."

_"Treecko, the Wood Gecko Pokemon. Treecko have small hooks on the bottom of their feet that enable them to scale vertical walls. These Pokémon attack by slamming foes with their thick tail."_

"So where are those other features you mentioned?" Brendan asked, looking closer at the screen for any sign of the options.

"Well, it doesn't scan them right away for moves. Now that the species is registered as already seen, just scan him again." The Professor explained.

Complying, Brendan was greeted by a different message.

_"This Pokemon's ability is: Unburden. This Pokemon's gender is: Male. This Pokemon knows the moves: Pound, Leer, Absorb and Dragonbreath. Note; Dragonbreath is hereditary."_

Brendan's eyebrows shot up, whilst Professor Birch's furrowed.

"That is... Unusual." The Professor finally said.

"Any reason for him having that move? Also, that ability... Unburden, was it?" Brendan questioned.

"The only explanation I can give is Breeder Market. We asked for him on short notice, after all."

Upon seeing the questioning look he was directed, Professor Birch expanded. "The Breeder Market is just the name for the Breeder groups in the regions. It is a rather demanding profession, but very rewarding on the money side of things. Professors have their Pokemon donated from these Breeder Groups as part of a long-standing deal. However, these eggs can also be used as prizes in tournaments or for people with more money."

The Professor paused, humming for a moment. "Normally, we see to it that standard Pokemon are given to beginning trainers, is just makes them easier to deal with."

"So, about the ability and that move, "Dragonbreath" was it?" Brendan enquired.

"Unburden is a rare ability of the Treecko line. Most of them have what we have dubbed "Overgrow", which is an adrenaline specific to grass types. The theory is it developed as a last resort, since it always activates when they're near exhausted. There are other reports of Grass Types having such traits, along with some Fire Type Pokemon and even Water Types have something similar. Unburden, however, is a recent discovery."

"So what does it do?"

"If the Pokemon is not holding anything it gives a greater boost to it's speed."

"... Doesn't that happen with any moving, living being?"

"Well, I may have simplified it a bit." The Professor admitted sheepishly. "It only activates in threatening situations, and it had to be burdened with something before hand. Imagine, if you will, walking around with weights. When you're attacked, these weights are lifted off you. It's to summarise, a variation of adrenaline. It's still a bit of a foggy area, these 'Hidden Abilities' as we've dubbed them."

That explanation was slightly understood by the teenager.

"Since it's such a rarity, these Pokemon are more spectacular, rarer. As for the move we heard?" Birch simply shrugged. "Some starter's have Hereditary Moves. The deal with them is that while they're there, they need to be developed and honed. Some simply don't bother, while others whom don't use or have the Pokedex don't know if it's existence."

"I see, well, thank you for explaining Professor." Brendan politely acknowledged.

"Not a problem m'boy, not a problem. Feel free to give a ring if you're in need of any assistance or advice on your Journey."

"I will, thanks again!"

* * *

Six days had passed since receiving his Pokedex, during this week Brendan spent much time preparing for his Journey and getting to know Treecko. Many necessities had to be bought and researched. It would be the height of foolishness to be unprepared, and he prided himself on his organisation skills.

"Tent, check... Hm... Sleeping Bags with it too..." Pausing whilst laying out each spoken item on his bed beside the large green backpack he was gifted to by his Father. Biting his lip, he noticed that one particular item seemed to be missing.

"Water bottle... Water bottle..." Brows furrowed, eyes darting to and fro, he couldn't spot the missing collapsible container.

A chirp came from his left causing him to pause. Brendan looked up to his shoulder to see a smirking Treecko waving said bottle in paw.

"Thanks." Before having it passed to his waiting hand, the Pokemon saw fit to tap him- not exactly gently- on the head with it.

"Really. Was that really needed?" He grumbled, rubbing the sore area before depositing the bottle in it's side holster on the pack.

Once everything was neatly packed (it was rather convenient, as the various products were very compact, built for Journeys. All necessary travelling gear could easily fit into a standard backpack) and giving his room a once over in the off chance he did miss something, Brendan made his way downstairs, Wood Gecko Pokemon perched on his shoulder.

"Is that you leaving now?" Brendan's mother called from the kitchen.

"Well, it is better to leave early. Don't want to head out in the evening." Brendan replied from the doorway, rubbing his neck nervously. He wasn't too good with goodbyes. Mainly because he had so few people he needed to say them to.

"Yeah... You best be heading then." Caroline smiled reassuringly over her shoulder at her son. "Remember to call!"

"I will." Brendan answered, slowly leaving the homestead. As the door swung shut and the cool June air greeted him, he sighed. "I will..."

Was he looking forward to this? Eh, it went both ways. Sure, he wouldn't be alone, but... He was alone in the traditional sense of companions. Human ones. Usually when there is a group of teens in a town, they arrange groups, pairs and the like in which they travel when they receive their Pokemon together on a pre-set date. For Brendan who has moved in a few years late of the nearest group, he had next to nobody in his experience level. It was rather disheartening.

He would be alone, again.

"Oi! Brendan! Wait up!"

Turning sharply, a look of utter surprise etched into his face, Brendan shouted back to the figure approaching rapidly.

"Joshua?!"

"Well aren't you a genius?" The assistant grinned, wheezing slightly from his run.

"So, er... Are you here to see me off?" Brendan asked, confused.

"Well... You see, I spent the week talking to the Professor." He began nervously. "Since I've not properly been out in the field, experience and all that stuff."

"Right...?" Brendan nodded, still unsure of where this was going.

"I've never actually been on a Journey, and being able to say I have would help a great deal in the future." He grinned. "So... I was wondering if I could bug you on yours. Y'know, if you don't-"

"Of course." Brendan cut him off, smiling widely. "It'll be great to have help anyway. There's still a great many things I'm unsure of for this."

"You and me both." Joshua laughed, adjusting his own dark blue backpack, falling into step with the younger teen as they left town for Route 101.

Maybe he wouldn't be alone after all.

* * *

**In order of Appearance (So Far, including those mentioned):**

_Brendan: Sixteen._

_Nick: Thirty Five._

_Norman (Dad): Thirty Six._

_Caroline (Mother): Thirty Four._

_Professor Birch: Thirty Five._

_Joshua: Twenty One._

_Mrs Birch: Thirty Five._

_May: Seventeen._

**_Forgot to add this..._**


	6. First Encounter

**Thanks for the nice reviews, here's the next chapter!**

* * *

**Chapter Six: First Encounter.**

* * *

"So what do you know about Oldale town?" Brendan asked, squinting down the long winding road.

"About as much as any other native. Simple, rather unremarkable town, has some interesting ruins though." Joshua replied. "It's more of a hub for those travelling to Petalburg though. I'm guessing that's where we're headed?"

"Yeah, was told to check in with Dad, he was wanting to speak to me before I went off." Brendan explained.

"I see. He's the new Gym Leader, isn't he?" Joshua questioned conversationally.

"Yep. Won't be an active one until his team is sorted. Usually the League gives the new leaders their starting three, but Dad's insisted on catching and training two himself." The younger answered with a roll of the eyes.

"Stubborn?"

"You have _no _idea." Brendan snorted.

They walked in silence for the next few minutes, until Brendan decided to enquire about what Pokemon Joshua has with him.

"Just my Kadabra and a Poochyena. Kadabra is my starter, but Poochyena was a Pokemon the professor caught. We don't think he had a pack, since he kept returning to the Center after being released."

"I see." Brendan acknowledged.

Hoenn really was a beautiful region. Back in Johto, everything was so... It was hard to describe. Humans had interfered far too much, man-made structures dominated the landscapes with roads paved. The only natural areas were tolerated at most, confined to routes. The only area in sync with nature could be Blackthorn City, home of the Dragon Clan.

Beautiful and deadly, apparently, he found out an hour later.

"Brendan..."

"Hm?" Brendan paused in his idle gaze of the sky, turning to see why Joshua had stopped walking.

Joshua was purposely staring straight ahead, eyes flickering to his right to be sure Brendan was looking at him.

"Don't question me, and walk slowly to your right."

His confusion rose, but he still did as told, walking carefully into the forest.

"The tree. Climb the tree, the one with the low hanging branches." It was a few trees in, the one being specified.

"See any apples up there?" Joshua suddenly shouted, louder than needed. Brendan paused, beyond confused at this point before continuing. Apples? In this random tree?

Once he was good bit up, Joshua quickly glanced over his shoulder towards the route they had just walked over before rapidly climbing.

"What are you-" Before he could get the question out, a Mightyena lunged for Joshua's leg through the tree line, only for it to be quickly brought up off the branch it was rested on as it was snapped cleanly off. Not a half-second after another snapped, presumably where Joshua's waist would have been. The bite would have caught his belt, where his Pokeballs rested.

"Mightyena pack. Saw it out of the corner of my eye stalking us on the left."The assistant heaved out, heart racing. "Normally, they aren't so aggressive, more defensive, but..."

Clearly the snarling pack of four were out of their usual characteristic.

"I take it we couldn't fight them?"

"No, Treecko's too inexperienced, same with Poochyena. Kadabra would have it worse, though, with his typing."

Brendan grimaced, trying to think of a solution to their issue. Only to have it resolved for themselves rather abruptly.

The now pack of seven Mightyena circled the tree, snarling at their prey out of reach, only one of the females to eye them strangely. After barking out to the others, they all started to slowly calm, warily staring at the two. The largest, the probable Alpha, held large yellow eyes intently settled on their waists. Snorting dismissively after a few sniffs, turned to leave, barking out the the pack. Slowly, the rest followed, the female from before paused, watching reproachfully almost, before turning tail.

"That... Was unusual." Joshua breathed out after a moment, chuckling nervously.

"I guess we're not the meat they're looking for." Brendan replied neutrally.

Joshua winced. "Feel sorry for the one they are. Give it five minutes before leaving, just in case."

After some waiting they judged it to be safe, they carefully dropped down.

"What exactly was that about?" Brendan questioned his companion, dusting off some bark from his jacket.

"No clue to be frank." Joshua replied honestly. "That was the Littleroot Pack. That big Alpha you saw? He's usually quite friendly, he's helped the Professor numerous times. He came to us after you brought back that Poochyena. I'm guessing the little devil ran off and found our professor." He finished with a chuckle.

"Friendly?" Brendan asked, incredulous.

"Yeah, Mightyena packs are usually like them." Joshua explained, missing his surprise at the statement. "They're essential for keeping the wildlife around towns in check. They don't mind wandering humans in the area as long as they are Trainers. Hunters they will chase down and have at times co-operates with other packs, and even rarer, humans chasing the Hunters. Also, they make sure no big threats stay too long, and keep the population under control."

That was rather fascinating to Brendan, as in Johto the only really wildlife checks were Rangers and the bird population, consisting of Fearows and Pidgeots.

"So is that why they backed off? They saw we were trainers from the belts?"

"I'm assuming so." Joshua clarified, though still confused about some detail Brendan must have missed. "No other reason, really. But it is rather concerning that they've travelled so far, and it seems only to stalk us. I can't for the life of me figure out why."

* * *

Oldale town was rather peaceful, open fields separating the majority of the structures. Their first stop was the Pokemon center, whilst Joshua headed for the phones to contact the local Rangers, Brendan set about exploring with Treecko now riding on his shoulder again.

They had already booked their rooms after agreeing to stay for the night, Brendan's key hung on a simple chain with a flashcard etched with the number seven. For now, he could have a look at the surrounding area. They eventually came across the simple dirt pitches down the road for battling. Two were open, while the first was occupied.

A Rather short teen around his age, was currently facing off against a far older man, about in his forties from a guess by Brendan. His face sported a bushy beard that twitched with his mouth, smiling at some of the tricks the youngster was trying to pull. A Mudkip from the teenager's side was facing off against a... What was that? He had read up on Hoenn's pokemon but this seemed to be one he had missed.

_"Linoone, the Rush Pokemon. When hunting, Linoone will make a beeline straight for the prey at a full run. While this Pokemon is capable of topping 60 mph, it has to come to a screeching halt before it can turn."_

Hm... Interesting. That would be very easy to take advantage of. If a pokemon kept on the move it shouldn't have any issues. Evidently, the Trainer of the Mudkip had not solved that little riddle.

The Linoone was living up to it's name, quick attacking in short dashes, not letting up on the water pokemon aside to occasionally launch a different angled attack at the shout of it's trainer. The teenager was getting quite frustrated.

He had tried slowing and trapping the Linoone previously, judging by the patches of slimy mud on the arena. However, the normal type leapt into the air before dashing in a sky attack with the assist of quick attack to avoid the patches.

It was over after just under a minute of Brendan's arrival. He had seated himself on a nearby bench, watching attentively. Judging by Treecko's lack of swinging tail, the Gecko Pokemon was likewise focused.

"I've tried telling you before, Benjamin," the man said, exasperated as the pair walked off the arena, "you need to stop staying on the defensive so much. All you do is get worn down without dealing anything yourself."

"It's easy to say that when you've had years of experience!" 'Benjamin' retorted.

The man shook his head. "I travelled. I didn't go on a Journey, so to speak. I just explored a lot. Linoone isn't interested in battling much, we're just doing this to help you out! The least you could do is acknowledge what we're trying to teach you!"

As they came close to passing, the man whom Brendan guessed was Benjamin's father, altered his tired frown into a small smile.

"Hello there! New in town?"

Brendan started, not actually expecting him to make conversation. He quickly collected himself.

"Yes sir, just staying the night however."

"Guessed as much, you either live here or are passing through. We don't usually see you trainer lot until later in the evening, though!" The man chuckled. "Oh, where are my manners? Stuart is the name, just call me Stu though!"

"Pleased to meet you, Stu. Brendan." He returned, offering a hand.

Stu laughed lightly after shaking. "Could use more like you around here Brendan! All we've got are rats like Benjamin here with the manners of a Vigoroth!"

Benjamin scowled, obviously wanting to simply move on and not interested in the conversation whatsoever.

"Judging by your friend there, would I be right in saying you're a new trainer?" The man asked, gesturing to Treecko.

After getting a nod from Brendan, Stu paused.

"Would you be interested in having a battle against my boy here? Don't worry, he only got Mudkip there three days ago, and all they've done is lotter about the house."

"What?!" Benjamin cried out. "Why?!"

"So I can prove to you that you're battling style is flawed and it's not just due to some made up experience Linoone and I have." Stu glowered at his son. "But I am getting sidetracked. What say you, Brendan? Interested?"

Brendan paused, weighing the pro's and con's. He had went through what Treecko already knew, but did he think they'd be able to hold their own in a battle? Evidently, it was answered for him. After Treecko tapped his tail on the back of his trainers head, he gave an unblinking stare to Brendan that got the message through.

"Sure." Brendan smiled uncertainly.

"Good, good. Well Benjamin, you go on to the Pokemon Center and then make your way back, we'll be waiting."

Once the muttering teen was well away, Stu dropped his smile.

"I do love 'em, but... He needs to learn." The older man sighed, taking a seat. "He needs to get his arse into gear, for lack of a better phrase. Too many excuses."

"You don't approve of him?" Brendan asked, unsure. In a way, he could sympathise with Benjamin.

"I think you're misunderstanding me." Stu shook his head. "I am content with how well he does things, but he's forgetting the major point of going on a Journey. It's why I've not let him go yet."

"And that point is?" Brendan questioned, curious of the older man's take on it.

"Experience." He replied simply. "It's not about winning every battle, or discovering something new. Being the best is overrated. No, when you can list all the places you've been, the people you've met and what you have done with your Pokemon at your side, you're already greater than a Champion. It gets lonely at the top, being stuck in that one place. Benjamin, he's stuck in being uncommitted and solely blaming problems on anything but himself."

It was a rather philosophical way of looking at a Pokemon Journey, and couldn't deny it did ring with truth though. He was rather embarrassed that the thought of losing was what held him back from saying with utter confidence he wouldn't mind going against Benjamin, but he had to have the first battle sometime. Win or lose, he wouldn't die; more would come. Stu was right in that respect.

It was all about the experience. Just not in the way Brendan originally thought.

* * *

**First Trainer Battle is the focus of the next chapter. As usual, any mistakes, point 'em out. There is quite a lot of red lines, considering Pokemon is the subject...**

**In order of Appearance (So Far, including those mentioned):**

_Brendan: Sixteen._

_Nick: Thirty Five._

_Norman (Dad): Thirty Six._

_Caroline (Mother): Thirty Four._

_Professor Birch: Thirty Five._

_Joshua: Twenty One._

_Mrs Birch: Thirty Five._

_May: Seventeen._

_Benjamin: Sixteen._

_Stuart: Forty Two._


	7. Lights Out

**Next chapter is here!**

* * *

**Chapter Seven: Lights Out.**

* * *

It did not take long for Benjamin to come back, his cheerful Mudkip bouncing along happily. A stark contrast to it's trainer.

"Okay, take your positions, I'll referee it." Stu grunted, sitting up from the bench. He had apologised for basically forcing Brendan into the situation, but he was waved off by the trainer. At least this wasn't someone with a mountain of experience asking to go against him.

"Come on bud," Brendan murmured to Treecko who was still perched on his shoulder,"let's do this."

Treecko chirped back, before leaping down.

Benjamin just looked irritated, though some confidence did shine through, expressed through his relaxed stance.

"Alright Mudkip, nice and quick." He yawned lazily.

Brendan simply raised an eyebrow, giving a nod to Treecko.

"Alright, let's make this a good one kids!" Stu hollered, "Trainers, begin!"

Brendan had discussed their tactic already with Treecko. Wait, see how Benjamin opens the battle, and play it out from there. Fast hit and runs, with strikes from above mixed in. Speed seems to be something Benjamin is unsure as to how to deal with and those aerial attacks had certainly worked for Stu.

There was silence on the field as Brendan stood, sharply waiting for a reaction from Benjamin.

Finally, Benjamin snapped.

"Get in close, Tackle! If you can Mud-Slap when in range!"

"Wait till the last second." Brendan murmured for Treecko's sensitive hearing to pick up. "On your toes, get ready to Pound. Get him into the ground."

Due to Benjamin's impatience, Brendan had plenty of time to think out the situation and instruct Treecko appropriately. Follow up instructions are usually always better for slower pokemon.

As Mudkip took it's wild dive, Treecko jumped left. When the padded front feet of the Mud Fish Pokemon met earth, Treecko's tail crashed into it's back.

"Mud-Slap! Try to trap it!" Came Benjamin's new order.

However, due to the situation Mudkip was in, the angle was very unsuitable. The Mud-Slap only surrounded a foot radius, hardly threatening to Treecko who had already moved safely out of range.

"Build up some speed, hit with Pound in the air."

The Mud-Slap really was a bad call. It had flooded the small crater that Mudkip was attempting to get it's front limbs out off, encasing it in hardening mud. As such, Treecko's attack was unchallenged, the Mud Fish was sent hurtling across the field. Finally free, but greatly weakened from the two solid hits and the effort of trying to escape.

_Was Stu just going easy on him,_ Brendan couldn't help but wonder. Thinking back to what he had seen when he first arrived, mud was everywhere. It's a nice tactic to trap and slow down faster Pokemon, but was that truly the only one Benjamin had worked out?

"Tackle!"

Mudkip looked very tired, running with heavy strides to keep itself going. Brendan paused, knowing that he had to act only once Benjamin couldn't get Mudkip to flee, or stay out of range.

"Counter with a light Pound, enough to soften the blow." He murmured, biting the inside of his lip nervously. He had seen dear old dad do this one often with his Ambipom. It was trained to simply ignore most physical attacks by applying Double Hit to first block and stop the attack in it's tracks, then sucker punch with the other tail to aerial the opponent. It was a lethal defence that opened right into a hard hitting impossible to block strike, usually in the form of a Return.

When Mudkip threw itself forward, Benjamin gave another hasty command.

"Mud-Slap!"

Mudkip now had a powerful amount of momentum behind it's leap and the oncoming wave of Earth, but Treecko had already bounced from the ground, tail swinging to take the hit.

"Absorb!"

The green spikes protruded from the Gecko Pokemon's tail and struck true. The dirt took some of the spikes thereby negating some of the effect, but Treecko independently struck again, tail striking the Mud Fish Pokemon before it had a chance to land. In the air, the quadruped Pokemon could do nothing, and so the blow struck dead centre on the chest. Mudkip had passed out before it touched earth.

Treecko slouched, softly panting. The Absorb allowed him to regain some of his energy, but from all the effort against a more experienced (and powerful, from the strength of that Tackle) Pokemon, he was still exhausted.

Benjamin seemed rather bitter over the result. His philosophy of experience triumphing had been thoroughly smashed.

"Mudkip is unable to battle! Treecko wins!"

Benjamin grumbled the whole way to the sidelines after returning his companion, muttering about another trip to the Center.

"You did good Bud." Brendan murmured after gently setting Treecko on his shoulder. The Gecko Pokemon paused between heavy breaths, butting his head gently off Brendans.

"That was a good battle you two had." Stu grunted once Brendan came close.

"He had a type disadvantage." He replied half-heartedly to explain away the win.

"He also had no small amount of stupidity." The older man retorted, gazing after his son. "I only hope this showed him so."

Brendan thought it was best not to comment. Benjamin would come around eventually.

"I'll walk you up to the center." Stu grunted, walking to the path with Brendan in step. "Travelling alone, or..."

"Oh, I've got a friend along." Brendan nodded.

Silence fell, the only sounds being the crunch of two pairs of boots on a dirt path with the wind whistling through the blades of grass.

"Strange hat you got there." Stu said conversationally. "New fashion I should be expecting around?"

"Unlikely." Brendan chuckled. "No, it's just something from Hoenn I brought over. Last thing I bought actually..."

"Not a native, then? Heh, can't say I didn't really guess as much, you're too white." Stu chuckled. "In Hoenn though that'll soon disappear, you'll either be getting a healthy tan or working full time for just the sunscreen."

Brendan laughed, rubbing the back of his head, firmly ignoring the approving up-turn of the mouth from Treecko.

"So, that friend of yours. Is he a native?" Stu asked curiously.

"Yeah, he is."

"Good, good. Hoenn's an easy place to get lost, considering how much wilderness is present. Our paths are mostly dirt, there are very few main roads."

"Why is that?" Brendan asked.

"Well if you take a look at regions like Sinnoh or Johto, you'll see it's much more industrialised. But here in Hoenn, we're a lot more big on being eco-friendly. I mean, all you have to do is take a look Owl City." He chortled.

Brendan hadn't heard of that name in the few books he read on the region, and enquired.

"Oh, yeah. Fortree City, but locals and the like call it Owl City."

"Fortree, Fortree... Is that the one, in the woods? With all the-"

"Treehouses, yeah." Stu laughed. "Their womanfolk are a buncha amazons. The Gym Leader, Winona, she's a fierce one."

Soon enough, they were back at the center and found Joshua waiting for them in the cafeteria, sitting at the window seat of a four seater booth drinking what a strange blue substance from a bottle.

"So were did you disappear off too?" he asked curiously. He'd also got a change of clothes it seemed too. His lime green Turtle-neck was ditched for a darker forest one, but the newest addition was a grey open Vintage Trench Coat he most certainly did not have before.

"Oh, er. I went shopping when you disappeared off." He said sheepishly in answer to the raised eyebrow.

"It's Hoenn." Brendan stated shortly.

"Well after constantly wearing a labcoat the style grew on me." Joshua defended his purchase.

"So I take it this is your travelling friend?" Stu asked, lip upturned.

"Stu, Joshua. Joshua, Stu." Brendan grunted out the introduction before sliding into the opposite seat.

"Nice to meet you sir." Joshua said politely, shaking the offered hand.

"Likewise my boy." Stu smiled, seating himself beside Brendan. After a moment, he frowned. "I know you from somewhere... Wait, labcoat. You're Birch's assistant! You came down and gave Benjamin his Mudkip!"

Joshua's brow furrowed, before his face lit up in recognition. "Benjamin. Short boy, brown hair? Yeah I remember him now."

Joshua stood to bin the used and crumpled bottle, but paused midway. "You two wanting anything?"

"Hrm, I could use a cuppa tea. No milk, one sugar if you please." Stu grunted.

"Just a water."

While Joshua left, Brendan asked Stu about the ruins atop a hill they'd passed through. Intrigued, he listened about how researchers and explorers alike had tried to gain entry, only to fail.

"Did you manage to get in touch with the Rangers?" Brendan asked Joshua once he had returned.

"Yeah, they should be in the area within two days, latest."

"What occurred for you to call in Rangers?" Stu asked curiously.

"The Littleroot Mightyena Pack has been on the move in this direction, and was stalking us at one point, not sure for how long exactly... Anyway, they did try to do, something, but we managed to get up into a tree." Stu's brow furrowed as the story went along.

"It went for your belt? Did you catch one of them recently?"

"Well, yeah." Joshua admitted. "But that was with permission I'm sure! You know that Poochyena the professor caught?"

"I thought you said it didn't have a pack, since it kept returning." Brendan frowned.

"Well the next night the Littleroot Pack turned up. I'm guessing they were on the move since it took them that long to find him, and why he kept returning. When the professor was out feeding him for the night, the Pack was prowling around the tree-line. I mean, we weren't sure if that was his pack, it could've been in the litter of two loners. The biggest packs in areas typically still watch over the other smaller groups until they have enough numbers to not be threatened so easily."Brendan was quite intrigued at this snippet of information.

"Well it sounds like it was their pup, but they don't seem so concerned over him now. Maybe it was due to him changing hands, so to speak?" Stu guessed.

"Maybe. They were heading this way if I remember right, though." Joshua replied, unconvinced.

"Could another pup have been lost, and they ended up picking up the wrong scent? A sibling?" Brendan asked after a moment of silence.

"It's possible..."

"Well." Stu grunted. "I pity the trainer who has a Town Pack hunting him. We've all heard the cases of those poor fools getting ripped apart."

The trio lapsed into silence again, enjoying their beverages, Brendan only getting halfway through his water before it was promptly snatched from his hands by Treecko, whom gulped the rest greedily, oblivious to his human's glare.

Stu then offered to show Brendan and Joshua the Ruins up the hill. When asked if Benjamin would be joining them, Stu shook his head.

"He said he was going to be busy at the Center. I think he's finally going to start training properly with some of the others." Stu smiled. "Seems like you did some good for him after all."

* * *

So where are you headed next?" Stu asked when they regrouped at the Pokemon Center for the evening. They had spent most of the time before sundown at the ruins, listening and following Stu along as he narrated the story of the ruins. Currently they were enjoying a meal courtesy of the Center. Trainers eat free with shown ID.

"Legend states it's a 'bridge or portal between our world and the ancient Pokemon world'." Stu had explained. "Most archaeologists have agreed that this is the location of an ancient chamber. Some have theorised it's a Water Temple connecting to an underground lake that opens in a deep sea trench off coast. These ruins are being studied by Professor Alden, he's staying at the Center."

"That's up to the boss-man, I'm just tagging along." Joshua quipped in reply.

Brendan's brow furrowed.

"Well, I was planning on stopping by my dad's gym, to see him and pick up a Pokemon. He's supposed to have one waiting for me."

"Heard he's supposed to be pretty tough. You're new aren't you? Won't that be a difficult first gym?" Stu questioned curiously, careful to not come across as condescending.

"I've done my research and I know my dad. I'll be going to Rustboro City first to challenge Roxanne."

"Good plan." Joshua commented. "She is one of the weaker ones and you have the type advantage. Plus, it's easy to get there too."

As Brendan was about to take a bite of food, the power shut off without warning, thrusting them into darkness.

* * *

**Once it comes closer to the introduction of the Gym Leaders, they'll be added to the list. If characters will not have any future roles, they'll be removed in the following chapter's list. For example, Nick will have an appearance in Rustboro, which why he is still on the list. Professor Alden, I don't plan on having a recent appearance beyond the next chapter, and thus he will be removed. **

**In order of Appearance (So Far, including those mentioned):**

_Brendan: Sixteen._

_Nick: Thirty Five._

_Norman (Dad): Thirty Six._

_Caroline (Mother): Thirty Four._

_Professor Birch: Thirty Five._

_Joshua: Twenty One._

_Mrs Birch: Thirty Five._

_May: Seventeen._

_Benjamin: Sixteen._

_Stuart: Forty Two._

_Professor Alden: Twenty Seven._


	8. Night Fight

**It would be much appreciated for feedback specifically about the battle scenes, I'm still trying to strike a balance between realism and making it actually interesting to read. Anyway, enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter Eight: Night Fight.**

* * *

Brendan deliberated for a few moments, before continuing eating by the moonlight.

"What happened?" Joshua murmured, getting to his feet and was joined by Stu.

"Not sure," the older man replied, "I'm going to go check with Nurse Joy. Coming?"

"Yes. Brendan?" Joshua asked.

"I, er..."

Food or curiosity? He was hungry, but this seemed like one of those social cues. Curse peer pressure.

"Yeah, sure." He sighed, reluctantly putting his knife and fork down. He could always get some more pasta later... Now he couldn't phone-call home like he'd planned to after dinner due to this power cut! What a bother.

Treecko took his spot on Brendan's shoulder as the trio went off to the lobby in search of the nurse, Brendan grumbling quietly.

There were only two other trainers lodging the night at the Center, but they were still in town. Currently it was only those two, Joshua and himself and Professor Alden according to Stu.

When they arrived at the lobby, Nurse Joy was busy putting batteries in a Flashlight.

"Oh, hello." She said once she faced them. "I was about to find you three to ask for your help actually."

"What for?" Joshua asked curiously.

"Well our generator should be having no issues and does have a chain link fence around it. It's most likely some wild Pokemon that has damaged it. I could use some trainers to help get it under control."

"Sure, no problem." Stu answered. "Lead the way."

"The back door opens at the end of the bottom lodgings. We'll just have to take the path around to the side." She explained, leading them down the hallway to the left hand side. "I'll stop by Professor Alden's room too and let him know the power should be back on soon."

"Strange." Brendan murmured to Joshua and Stu.

"What is?"

"Why hasn't the backup power came online?"

"Well we don't have any Pokemon in the Emergency Room and there are not that many booked in for the night." Stu said, shrugging. "Guess it's just unneeded right now. If the generator is badly damaged then it can be put on. I honestly don't know."

The first door on the right was already open, multiple voices drifting through. Brendan's eyes narrowed as he noticed the door down the hall leading outside was in pieces, the melted frame still dripping.

"I'm sorry Professor Alden, when the power went out I- Oh!"

Quick footsteps sounded behind Brendan as he, Stu and Joshua turned to see a tall man in red clothes, a stylised "M" emblem adorning the Hoodie.

"You three shouldn't be here." He muttered, expressionless behind his large red tinted visor that hid his eyes.

Nurse Joy was grabbed by one of the other Members in the room and pulled in behind the trio, the split second of them turning at her scream the man in front lunged.

Treecko sprang into action, tail swinging to strike the man across his temple, sending him sprawling into a wall, head bouncing off the wall. He slumped over, unconscious.

A quick noise of gratitude came from Brendan as they turned to investigate the professor's room.

Three more of the strangers were inside, one female member was holding Nurse Joy still and the other with her arm firmly locked in front of the Professor's neck while their leader stood in the middle, flanked by two armoured Houndooms and his own with it's darker golden helm in front.

"Well well well, this is a surprise." The central male smiled, silky voice heard over the growling of the Fire types.

Treecko scaled the wall beside them, unnoticed by those in the room as he was out of their line of sight, and silently climbing above to unlatch a ventilation grate before slipping in, also not seen by Joshua and Stu.

"We came to get the good professor only, but it appears we miscalculated. Now, if you three gentlemen can step aside-"

"Not happening." Stu said firmly, releasing his Linoone, joined by Joshua's Kadabra.

The Psi Pokemon stood above a metre, roughly twenty centimetres, shorter than the average. It surveyed the scene calmly, grip tightening around it's Focal Spoon in it's right hand.

"At best this shall be a three against one scenario," the leader sneered, "seeing as that Kadabra will fall to pieces before our Houndooms."

"I wouldn't be so sure." Joshua shot back. "Besides, not as if we're going to stand aside idly and let you kidnap someone."

"He will be unharmed," came the reply, "as long as our wishes are complied to, the professor will live beyond this night."

"People like _Magma_ can't be trusted." Stu sneered the name.

"So, you will not stand down?" The leader asked rhetorically. "So be it."

Silence fell for a moment, before...

"Flamethrower!"

As the trainers jumped to the sides to take cover behind the walls, three Houndoom maws opened as the gout of fire burst forth from each. Linoone dodged to the right, bouncing off the wall to strike the right sided Houndoom. Kadabra unleashed a wave of Confusion, blasting the flames approaching back before bouncing off the Houndooms harmlessly. At this moment, Treecko burst from the vent at the back of the room, colliding with the Magma Member holding Nurse Joy.

"Shadowball Kadabra!" Joshua yelled from around the door. They had split at the first attack, the two older men taking the left side, leaving Brendan to the right, relative to entering the room.

The ball of purple energy collided with the leftmost Houndoom, catching it on the back of the neck when it turned to defend it's master from Treecko. Linoone meanwhile followed Stu's yell of Fury Swipes to engage it's opponent to stop any possible Flamethrowers. Treecko took to independently striking the mass of both Houndooms and Magma Members. Considering how small the room was, he could move with ease as it was not guaranteed that any offensive strike from the Dark Types would actually land on the Gecko.

"We don't have time for this! Smokescreen it!" The leader bellowed over the noise. His two guards followed him to the back of the room, dragging the Professor along while Nurse Joy crawled towards the doorway. The Alpha Houndoom spewed forth the poisonous Smog, forcing the attackers back, giving the other two Dark Pokemon the opportunity to breathe forth their own into the room.

As Brendan turned to kneel down and help the Nurse to safety, being unable to give commands due to the smog blocking both visibility and ability to enter, the corner of his eye caught the telltale spark of flames through the Smog. The wall exploded in a shower of plaster and debris above his head from the force of an Overheat just as he dragged the Nurse out of the radius of flames.

The trio of men and the nurse coughed and spluttered until Kadabra blew back the smog with waves of Confusion, small flames that had begun to grow and spread petered out just as another bang sounded from the opposite end of the room.

"Looks like they blew out the back wall." Stu observed, wiping the soot from his brow.

"More pressing question is," Joshua paused to clear his lungs, "where are they going with Alden?"

"Probably the ruins." Nurse joy answered. "It would be most likely, considering that's what he's here to study."

"Are we going to chase them down, then?" Brendan asked, eyeing the destruction. Much of the door frame was melted, the wall he had been behind now an open mess of bricks and plaster. He rubbed his shoulder, grimacing in pain.

"Seems so. Miss, it'll be best if you got the backup power online." Stu said. "They most likely blew the generator."

Treecko had kept to harassing the Magma Members and on occasion the Houndooms, keeping out of the direct danger. All it would take was one fire attack from a far more experienced Pokemon to take out Treecko. As such, he was relatively unscaved, some damage from the Smog. Kadabra had suffered no direct hits, only some fire damage from the Overheat he failed to completely guard against. Linoone had scratches and scrapes but ultimately had triumphed over it's opponent. It had hugged the floor as the Overheat sailed above, leaving it with only singed fur.

All three were fit to take the fight to the attackers. The most the humans had took was some scrapes on the arms, and a bruised and painful right shoulder of Brendan's where a brick struck from the explosion.

"The only question remaining is what shall we do," Joshua drawled, dragging out and kicking over body of the first encountered still unconscious Magma Grunt, "with this guy?"

Stu paused, before smiling.

"I have an idea..."

* * *

Christopher Stern was pissed. Beyond pissed. The brats and the old timer had delayed them enough and caused more trouble than expected at first sight.

"Next time, check the whole building." He hissed to a compatriot, smacking the sheepish girl over the back of the head. "We do not need unexpected variables in our operations!"

Before them lay the sealed door of the ruins. Four slots were present for the orbs to be placed in, but they did not know the order needed. Fucking Aqua...

"Well professor, time to give us access to the stone chamber." Stern drawled, turning to face their captive.

"It... won't work." Alden stated defiantly, glancing at the door. "If we try to force our way into it the chamber will collapse!"

Stern rolled his eyes behind his visor. "But you yourself said the way in is written on this little stone tablet, is that right professor?"

The original door was destroyed during the original archaeological incident trying to gain access. Oldale was evacuated after tremors rocked the town, and under the noses of the Ever Grande League's Ace Trainers in charge of ensuring the town was empty and not entered, Team Aqua had replaced the doorway and the inner staircase roof of the chamber. The construction had been done overnight, after a "quake" had opened the earth in the central area of town and needed to be attended to. This was classified knowledge, but apparently the Admins had their ways of making the classified declassified.

"That's true but I also said I needed the four treasures as keys."

"Of course." Stern smirked. "The keys. Here you are."

His other subordinate brought forth the case in which the four spheres sat.

"But, how did you-"

"You see, we have friends in high places." Weeks of tracking lead to a skirmish against Aqua by the League in which the keys were stolen from the site by Magma Members who had infiltrated the Ace Trainers. _Ever Grande were manipulated so easily with anonymous tips_, Stern remembered bemusedly. "The only thing left to do is find which key goes in which hole, and you will help us with that."

Aqua had cleverly coded the door to the treasures that they had gathered, having already deciphered the tablet present to know how to code the door to match the previous. As such, the League had claimed they themselves installed it and the supports within to stop the collapse and restore structure, knowing they could hardly explain to the public how a group they had warned against had actually sneaked in under the eyes of the League and restored order themselves. Aqua didn't bother contending their claims, knowing it forced the League to warn and watch over the town themselves. They had their own unpaid protection and security over the location, and locals fearing disturbing the chamber in case of a repeat. It had taken months of planning from Maxie to orchestrate this mission, and by Arceus was he going to mess it up when he was only recently promoted to Captain. Those punks better not interfere.

"I won't!" The Professor shouted back adamantly.

"Really?" He replied sarcastically. "Then I can assume you don't care about the fate of those poor people back at the Pokemon Center."

"You wouldn't." Alden growled.

"We would and will unless you obey." Stern was slowly losing his patience. "So?! What will it be?"

It was an empty threat of course. Maxie had personally told him that under no circumstances were there to be serious injuries for the Townfolk or any deaths. 'A life stolen will be then took in return from the thief' he had all but hissed at the debriefing for the Members involved in the operation. This was to be a scouting mission to take advantage of the Professor's presence, and they were running out of time before the Chinook would be here.

The professor grit his teeth before finally agreeing.

"You win."

Of course they do. They had to, lest the fools in Aqua kill them all.

The red went to the top right slot, followed by green to the opposite left. The professor paused, brow furrowed, to which Stern handed the tablet to him. Refusing to thank his kidnapper, he glared down at the stone, before placing the blue at the bottom. Gold slid into the center.

The orbs lit up to gasps, Stern's lips curving into a pleased smile as the door slid open. Releasing his Houndoom, he told it to guard the entrance as it was joined by the other two Dark Types.

_"Time has ran out."_ A feminine voice buzzed in Stern's earpiece. _"The League's been notified and is on it's way. We can't contend against reinforcements and the current garrison of Ace Trainers. We are on our way to the ruins."_

Leading the two female Members inside, he headed straight for the central cube.

"Astounding!" Alden's voice echoed in the chamber.

Tuning out the professor, Stern asked his left side Member, "Do you see the information we came for?"

"Not a trace!" came the frustrated girl's voice.

"I recorded all the data from the walls!" The other's thick accent came from behind the first.

"We've come up with nothing again." Stern muttered, frustrated. Damn this! "Right, let's pull out!" He ordered after glancing at his watch. They'd run out of time.

He took one more look at the cube in the center, turning to and fro the entrance and the cube before snarling, dragging the professor along. He'd be useful later, Admin Courtney would have questions for him.

Well played Aqua. They'd not be able to enter without concentrated light. The walls clearly had shiny strips cleverly ran through the murals to not interfere, but reflect the natural streaming light onto all sides of the cube. They simply did not have the time, but it proved one thing.

Aqua were hiding something under the chamber.

Following his two subordinates outside, he let out a groan of frustration. They had forgotten about Blaise, and the fool had gotten himself held hostage by the punks from before. The punks right in front of them now.

* * *

**I have already decided what the Pokemon captured will be, and their names. However if a suggestion does come along that I hadn't actually thought about then it will be taken into consideration. **

**In order of Appearance (So Far, including those mentioned):**

_Brendan: Sixteen._

_Nick: Thirty Five._

_Norman (Dad): Thirty Six._

_Caroline (Mother): Thirty Four._

_Professor Birch: Thirty Five._

_Joshua: Twenty One._

_Mrs Birch: Thirty Five._

_May: Seventeen._

_Benjamin: Sixteen._

_Stuart: Forty Two._

_Professor Alden: Twenty Seven._

_Stern: Twenty Four._


	9. A Promise

**My attention has been previously split on two other stories and personal life, to simplify things I am going to be deleting one and making A Different Journey the priority. Anyways, enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter Nine: A Promise.**

* * *

The Magma Team formed with their leader at point, flanked by his two subordinates. A Combusken kept a firm grip on the Professor behind them after being released by Stern.

Likewise, Stu, Brendan and Joshua mirrored them with Stu taking front position and his second Pokemon, a massive Swellow that could carry him with ease was released in the stead of Linoone whom kept the now awake and struggling Magma Member pinned to the dirt. A sharp hiss startled him into ceasing his movements.

Kadabra and Treecko had took positions flanking Swellow. While Kadabra stood relaxed, Treecko's eyes were darting across the small flatland they were on. Unknowingly to the Pokemon, Brendan was likewise surveying the field, looking for anything that could be used against the opposing group's position.

"I think you lot forgot something." Stu called across.

Brendan was sure he saw the Squad Leader's lips quirk up for a brief moment.

"It appears we did," came the reply, "be a dear and return him, please."

"Your scum for the Professor." Stu all but demanded.

"And what makes you think he is even worth bargaining with?" The Leader chuckled. "He's just muscle. I'm sure you know the likes of us have plenty of that."

"So he's not going to have any use?" Stu asked rhetorically. "Very well. Kid," he paused to nod to Brendan, "take him back to the Center and keep guard until the Ace get there."

Silence reigned and a tell-tale nervous twitch of one of the women to a pokeball spoke volumes when Brendan made a move to grab the shoulder of their captive after walking cautiously back.

Stu smirked.

"You want the Professor?" The Leader clarified, boredom oozing from him. "Very well. Front and center Alden. Your usefulness has come to an end."

Brendan saw Stu's stance ease, his relief obvious. They had been banking on this being a specialist team that a loss could not be afforded. They had slipped past the Ace garrison that was forever stationed near the town. While most grunts were simply given instruction on site, such a team would logically have many roles and thus the whole team would be briefed. No losses in such an operation could be afforded.

Without warning, The Leader let out a two note whistle. Alden had his tail-bone harshly kicked from behind, throwing the professor to his hands and knees with a cry of pain that was followed up by the Alpha Houndoom's snarling jaws around the back of his throat.

When Stu stepped forward, furious, the growling increased in volume as the grip was adjusted with perfected ease. An unsheathed paw planted firmly on the Professor's right shoulder blade. The message was clear.

Stu wouldn't even get halfway through a one syllable command like Bite before the Dark Type could break Alden's neck.

"You didn't think we would trade so easily and trusting, did you?" Came the mocking laugh. "Please. Let us not forget who has the power here. We can kill the Professor then move onto you and retrieve our Member. I would enjoy seeing how you cope against us in an open battlefield instead of a collapsible room."

Stu grit his teeth, before turning on his heel and grabbing their own hostage by his arm. Not too gently pulling him to his feet, he walked back into position.

"How is this going to be done, then? Shall we all return our Pokemon?" Joshua asked, moving closer to Stu.

"Play for time if we can." Stu muttered.

"Please." The Magma Leader laughed again, calling over. "How stupid do you think I am? No, here is what is going to be done. You will hand our man over and we will not kill you or leave the professor here without a throat."

Both sides paused, waiting for the other to make their move. Eventually, as Stu took his first step forward with their captive in tow, the wind howled in the night as twin blades cutting through the air carried a Chinook emblazoned with their red symbol descended.

"Seems we are out of time," The Leader muttered, irritated, "Very well old man. The Professor for our subordinate, now!"

The Houndoom released the Professor at another whistle, while Stu shoved their captive forward. Once the Professor was safely out of the range of the Houndoom's lunge and Flamethrower.

"Pokeballs too." Came the command, a smirk donning The Leader's features. Stu launched the Pokeballs they had liberated of their captive too. It would be too late for them to realise they were in fact, empty.

The Leader caught the pair out off the air with ease in one hand, handing them to the approaching member. When the hand came to take them, he kept them firmly in his grip, muttering a few words before releasing.

After a barked order that couldn't be quite heard over the hurricane-like wind, the Magma Members started boarding their transport, The Leader pausing behind.

"Let's hope we do not run into each other again." He said, unblinking in his stare at Joshua and Brendan. "I promise I shan't be as lenient with your interference."

He turned swiftly before they could retort, steps resonating off the cargo door. Stu looked tempted to order an attack, but turned away.

* * *

"You did good you two, " Stu grunted when they returned to the Pokemon Center, "Not many can stand up to a Houndoom Pack, let alone a Magma one."

_But they didn't really, _Brendan disagreed to himself. _If they hadn't had to leave..._

If the likes of Team Magma were roaming Hoenn then he had to be better prepared. Treecko was already disadvantaged, for now the most he could do, frustrating as it is, was avoid them to the best of his ability. In the meantime they had to get stronger.

And so later that night, he took out his journal under the watchful eyes of his Pokemon and began to seriously plan. He had not wanted to stand out, but it looked like that wasn't in his hands anymore. Previously planning to half-heartedly breeze through training and the region, that couldn't be the case any longer.

_Dad will be so proud, _Brendan sighed.

Some research via the Pokedex yielded the facts that Houndooms typically hunted in trios. While packs usually consisted from six to eight adults including the alpha pair, with litters being a maximum of four at best, the Alpha and two others. The Alpha female never hunted in a pack. This meant that Attract would have good odds and thus would be useful against them. This was noted by Brendan.

More specifically about Team Magma, he searched online for any and all information about them. They apparently had been involved in quite a few... Illegal activities. Ones against Pokemon came up frequently. They were also surprisingly involved politically, though this was done very subtly it seemed. There had not been any direct accusations against the League Officials and sympathisers suspected, but they were suspected nonetheless. Their ultimate goal was to increase Hoenn's landmass to make way for more civilisation and secondary to this, industrialisation. Their stance was heavily contested by the public and the League, as it opposed the Hoenn's traditional ideals, leading to a more extremist push from the Team. Directly against them at the other end of the spectrum was Team Aqua. Naturalists to the extreme, they were far more brash and brutish in their methods. Attacks on Companies such as the Devon Corporation were commonplace. Apparently they operated from the sea, striking from their submarine and harassing specific cargo ships entering and leaving Hoenn.

_Fitting, _Brendan mused, _they resemble a band of pirates._

While they rarely done damage to Pokemon outside use of combat, they were unforgiving against human counterparts.

"I think we should make a habit of avoiding these two." Brendan murmured to Treecko after noting down known Pokemon by Aqua.

The next area he focused on were training plans for Treecko. After some research into the Wood Gecko Pokemon he decided that he needed to learn some more powerful and varied moves. Vine Whip looked very useful, having numerous applications. Grappling opponents, striking them, launching terrain and objects themselves, and many uses outside of battle.

"Arceus only knows how lazy you will get after learning this." Brendan chuckled affectionately, reading a list of uses, which included carrying things.

A sharp chirp came as the reply, alongside a soft bump to his head from the affronted Pokemon's tail.

Dragonsbreath was something he was intrigued by. Dragon moves were notoriously powerful, those Pokemon being powerhouses in teams. Being solitary and rather unsociable creatures, their kind was difficult to find. They were fewer so in teams themselves, and Dragon Type Trainers were the rarest kind. Teaching it to Treecko was going to be an already difficult job let alone without a proper teacher.

_Baby steps, Brendan, _he thought to himself.

For now, Treecko should focus on Vine Whip, it would be an important building block for learning other grass type moves anyway. It would give him more reach, and vines were more powerful than a Treecko's arms.

He was planning on leaving his travel planning until after meeting up with his father, Brendan reasoned he would take his recommendation into account for travelling and wait until he was there to properly plan it out.

"You did great in that fight bud." Brendan smiled up to his right.

Treecko nodded slowly, however the compliment didn't quite get rid of the feeling of irritation he had. The mutt they had first fought together was fragile. His Partner had smelt of nerves but he kept a cool head when thrown into the situation, and commanded soundly. He saw no issues in not obeying.

As such when questioned by the Caretaker, he found no issue with looking after his Partner. At the time however he had simply known him as a trainer, having been told about them from the older Pokemon he had seen when he and the others were being raised by the Father-Not-Father.

The very same day they encountered the Caretaker's spawn. He had seen the Torchic evolve into the being they called a Combusken, alongside the other two his age, another Torchic and the Mudkip. He knew he would not win against the Combusken, and he was wary of it's flames. It was a bad tempered thing after evolution. He'd enjoy the chance to fight again seriously, the act being addictive after he had dominated the mutt. They hadn't many such fights before with the Caretaker or the Father-Not-Father. The few occasions had only been particularly violent disputes however.

Trainer had known however to not challenge the female and had not risen to the mockery it had spewed. He had been tempted to smack the female then and the thought of a fight against her was pleasing, but the trainer had retorted with calmness, masking his irritation he could smell. The irritation from what he could make out was over a statement about his sire, which confused him. He would have liked to know his father.

Having known him for a week, his trainer had gotten comfortable around him, which had pleased the Gecko Pokemon. His trainer was prone to being nervous, and such occasions made him want to beat the cause. He was glad he was no longer one. The trainer however acted like he was an equal, something the older Pokemon did not mention. When spoken to before, they explained the little balls they used for capturing and transporting their kind. The Father-Not-Father did not particularly care too much about them either. They were his job as he had said once to another human.

His trainer did not keep him in his little ball though, which confused him at first. He was treated like a human, and so the trainer became his Partner. After all, a trainer focused on training solely. A trainer did not bother with trivial things such as your sleep or how they spoke to you.

He was allowed on his shoulder, an action he enjoyed very much, his perch giving him equal status and height to his Partner. The shaking he did on occasion to express confusion he did irritated him quickly, and thus he educated his Partner on not doing it. He ate at the table too, something he was very much sure was not supposed to happen. Father-Not-Father had his meals at the surface while the rest had bowls on the floor, below him. It irritated Treecko at indoor mealtimes, and so he was quite happy with this development. The 'chair' had a quite large soft object that he used to stand on for eating there after the Partners Mother noticed he barely reached the table height. He also used it for resting and sleeping, too, after he discovered how comforting it was. His Partner had been both amused and annoyed at this, but he did not understand why. His mother had allowed the occurrence however and said she'd get him a new 'pillow', and that seemed to placate him.

He had won against the few wild Pokemon they had encountered in the route to the town. While the skirmishes had grew in number he remained unfulfilled. They were simple practice, barely worth looking at in his mind. Weak. The Mudkip as his Partner had called it was a stronger fight. Nevertheless, he enjoyed what power he had.

Then they ran into those bigger mutts, ones that spewed fire from their maws. He could barely touch them, and that aggravated him greatly.

He wanted to be stronger, more powerful. To never feel so useless in the face of an enemy again.

From his Partner's current actions he could clearly see he felt similarly. They would never be helpless again.

* * *

**In order of Appearance (So Far, including those mentioned):**

_Brendan: Sixteen._

_Nick: Thirty Five._

_Norman (Dad): Thirty Six._

_Caroline (Mother): Thirty Four._

_Professor Birch: Thirty Five._

_Joshua: Twenty One._

_Mrs Birch: Thirty Five._

_May: Seventeen._

_Benjamin: Sixteen._

_Stuart: Forty Two._

_Professor Alden: Twenty Seven._

_Stern: Twenty Four._


End file.
